1. 8 Design Analogies
8 Design Analogies
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
2. 8 Design Analogies
Design speak has its place in the classroom and in the
office, but we are remiss if we never teach students how
to explain to clients the importance, the use, and the
purpose of design elements. Explaining relationships
between elements and design concepts is sometimes
problematic for an inexperienced designer. Analogies
are indispensable in the classroom, because their use
provides students with metaphors they can then utilize
when working with clients.
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
3. 8 Design Analogies
1 Clients Who Ask… “How Much?”
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
4. 8 Design Analogies
Clients even before an initial meeting, will ask questions like:
“How much will a __________ cost?”
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
5. 8 Design Analogies
Students Could Use the Analogy:
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
6. 8 Design Analogies
2 Clients Want to Use a Background Image
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
7. 8 Design Analogies
Clients want their piece to have a
background image behind the text.
Now nothing can be read. Not the
image or the text and the viewer
moves on.
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
8. 8 Design Analogies
Students Could Use the Analogy:
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
9. 8 Design Analogies
3 Clients Want the Type and Images Too Close
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
10. 8 Design Analogies
To read comfortably, all elements need their space.
or
Things can appear too crowded
and the feel of the piece and
message can be compromised.
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
11. 8 Design Analogies
Students
Could Use
the Analogy:
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
12. 8 Design Analogies
4 Clients Want Elements Too far Apart
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
13. 8 Design Analogies
Clients want design elements
too far away apart from other
elements. This means these
elements are connecting
more with the outside edge
of the page rather than with
each other.
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
14. 8 Design Analogies
Students Could Use the Analogy:
text or
a design
element
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
15. 8 Design Analogies
5 Clients Want to Use an iPhone Image
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
16. 8 Design Analogies
Clients want to use a low resolution
image in a place where a high
resolution image is required.
And ask, “Can’t you just make it
bigger in photoshop?”
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
17. 8 Design Analogies
Students Could
Use the Analogy:
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
18. 8 Design Analogies
6 Client Wants to Use All the Bells & Whistles
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
19. 8 Design Analogies
Clients want their piece to have design
elements that are unnecessary and will
impede the communication of the message.
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
20. 8 Design Analogies
Students
Could Use
the Analogy:
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
21. 8 Design Analogies
7 Clients Want to Use an Unnecessary Element
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
22. 8 Design Analogies
Sometimes a client may have a bad design idea, like
that would draw attention
attention
using a particular color, typeface, or design element
thing and away from the message they are trying to
to that
get across.
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
23. 8 Design Analogies
Students Could
Use the Analogy:
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
24. 8 Design Analogies
8 Remind them Every Skill Takes Practice
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
25. 8 Design Analogies
Students need to know that Client Interaction takes
practice just like…
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com
26. 8 Design Analogies
c. diane gibbs | Assistant Professor | University of South Alabama | www. littlebirdcommunications.com